The Thomas Jefferson fastpitch team won 10 of its last 11 games entering Friday’s South Puget Sound League North Division finale against the Tahoma Bears.
But the Raiders couldn’t make it 11 of 12 Friday afternoon. Tahoma, the defending SPSL North champions, took out Jefferson, 4-2. The Bears (14-2) tallied four runs in the top of the fifth inning to break a 0-0 tie at TJ. Two of those runs came on a home run by Jordan Walley.
The Raiders attempted a comeback with both of their runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. But it wasn’t enough. Alexandria Crowe finished 2 for 3 with a run for Jefferson.
The loss dropped the Raiders to 12-4 on the season entering the SPSL Tournament, which will be played Friday and Saturday at Kent’s Service Fields. The tournament will include the top-five teams from both the North and South divisions of the SPSL. All 10 teams qualify for the West Central/Southwest District Tournament. Jefferson will be either the third or fourth seed from the North Division.
The win moved the Bears into a tie for first place with the Kentlake Falcons. The two teams split their regular-season matchups.
The Raiders did, however, get a pair of wins Thursday. Jefferson beat Kentridge, 12-2, and Auburn, 15-4, in a double-header.
Against Kentridge, TJ’s offense pounded out 15 hits in the five innings and scored 11 runs in the top of the first. Annalise Campbell, Nichole Greenheck and Katie Jackson all finished with three RBIs each during the game. Lexi Goranson also finished 3 for 3. Jackson also picked up the win on the mound for the Raiders.
Beamer
The Titans (8-7 SPSL South, 10-7 overall) picked up a non-league victory over Highline Friday afternoon, 12-2. Beamer finished with seven hits and took advantage of four Highline errors.
Emma Blauser finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a home run and also got the victory on the mound for the Titans. Jenna Floyd was 3 for 3 with two runs.
Beamer will be the fifth place team from the SPSL South and will play the second-place team from the North on Friday at the SPSL Tournament.
Federal Way
The Eagles (0-16 overall) ended their season with a 4-1 loss to Graham-Kapowsin on Thursday. Federal Way pitcher Kayla Quiroga allowed only five hits on the mound. Ashley Leise finished 1 for 2 with the Eagles’ only RBI of the game.
Decatur
The Gators (0-10 SPSL 3A) ended their season with a 12-8 loss to Auburn Mountainview Thursday. The game was the last for four seniors at Decatur — Lindsay Dickinson, Hailey Frederickson, Kayla Lipston and Erin Slater.
Dickinson finished 3 for 4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs during the loss to Auburn Mountainview. Dickinson, an All-SPSL outfielder a year ago, is planning on walking-on at Central Washington in the fall. Slater was 1 for 3 with three RBIs and a run and will play softball next season at Division III Macalester College in Minnesota.
Junior Abby McFaul ended up 2 for 2 with a run and drove in two for the Gators and Frederickson suffered the loss on the mound
